


Comatose Love

by InsanitysDaughter



Category: GOT7
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:20:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23602978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsanitysDaughter/pseuds/InsanitysDaughter
Summary: BamBam receives a call regarding the woman that he loves and it sends him on an emotional spiral.
Relationships: Kunpimook Bhuwakul | BamBam/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 3





	Comatose Love

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fic I have completed, so please be kind. Hope you enjoy this little one shot. Constructive criticism is welcome, (unless you're family). Also, all translations are from GoogleTranslate so if they are wrong, I am sorry. I do not own anything but the original characters.

BamBam is anxious. Jackson can see it clearly no matter how hard BamBam tries to act normal. BamBam had never been able to sit still but he is more fidgety than usual, abnormally quiet, and Jackson has watched him check his phone no less than twenty times in the last three minutes only to drop it onto the dining table with a huff a second later, running his hands through his hair and then repeating the process. He’s trying to hide it from the rest of his members, laughing loudly as he watches Mark attempt to climb Yugyeom like a tree, but Jackson could tell it was forced, his smile never reaching his eyes. 

“BamBam,” Jackson calls, catching everyone’s attention, “What’s got you so distracted?”

“Huh? Oh. Nothing. I’m fine,” BamBam says hurriedly, looking back down to his phone.

“No you’re not,” Mark says from where he is perched on Yugyeom’s back, wrapped around him like a koala, “You keep checking your phone and then looking like you wanna throw it across the room a second later.”

“Why are you on me, hyung?” Yugyeom says in annoyance and Mark just shrugs, causing Yugyeom to growl. He walks over to one of the couches in the dorm living room and flops down, effectively squishing Mark between him and the back of the couch and Mark lets go with a groan, the rest of the boys laughing again as Yugyeom pushes back, pressing Mark harder into the back of the couch until Mark gives him a hard smack on the side of his head. Yugyeom jumps up quickly, scurrying over to sit at the table next to BamBam just as Jinyoung and Youngjae enter the dorm, both laden down with bags of food. 

The boys all gather around the table as Jinyoung and Youngjae hand out the food, and Jackson watches as BamBam ignores his in favor of checking his phone again. He sets the phone aside again with a sigh before grabbing his fries. He only eats a couple before picking his phone up once more, only to have it snatched out of his hand by Jaebeom as he plops down next to him. 

“Seriously, BamBam, what’s up,” Jaebeom asks, holding BamBam’s phone out of his reach, “are you that lost without Karlie here to hold your hand?”

“I am not lost without her, hyung,” BamBam says in exasperation, wincing at the mention of his fiance who also happens to be Got7’s American manager. Jackson can’t help but chuckle as he watches BamBam attempt to grab his phone from Jaebeom, almost climbing into his lap, only to have it taken by Jinyoung across the table. He flops back in his seat with a hard, crossing his arms and glaring at the table. 

“Right,” Jaebeom says with a smirk, “Then why do you look like a kicked puppy?”

“I do not look like a kicked puppy,” BamBam growls before sighing, “I’m just worried, okay? She usually calls or at least texts me once a day. I haven’t heard from her in three days. I’ve been trying to call her but it goes straight to voicemail.”

“Maybe she finally got sick of listening to your whiny ass, and shut off her phone,” Mark says from where he is sitting on Jaebeom’s other side, and the other boys laugh when BamBam lunges at him and he lets out a small shriek. 

“That’s rude, Mark,” Jinyoung admonishes as he slides BamBam’s phone into his pocket, sits down, and looks back at BamBam, “I’m sure she’s fine, BamBam. But checking your phone every two seconds and stressing out isn’t going to make her call you any quicker. So eat your lunch and spend some time with us before you leave for Thailand tomorrow.” 

“Fine,” BamBam says with a pout before taking a large bite out of his burger. Before anyone can say anything else though, Day6’s  _ Sweet Chaos _ rings out and BamBam is lunging across the table, shoving his hand into Jinyoung’s pocket and fishing out his phone.

“See, I told you she was fine,” Jinyoung says with a laugh as BamBam answers the phone, wandering into the living room. 

“Karlie what the hell?” BamBam says loudly, “I’ve been trying to call you for-”

Jackson looks up from his food when BamBam stops mid-sentence.

“ _ Tyler? Where’s Karlie?”  _ BamBam says in English as he stops next to the couch.

Everyone’s attention snaps to BamBam at his question, food forgotten. Jackson watches as a mix of confusion and pain settles onto his friend’s face. 

“ _ What are you- Why is she-”  _ BamBam stutters and stops as whoever is on the other end continues speaking. Yugyeom stands from the table and moves to stand next to his best friend when BamBam fists a hand in his hair. As Yugyeom reaches out to place a hand on BamBam’s shoulder, BamBam’s knees suddenly buckle, phone slipping from his hand and bouncing across the carpet. Yugyeom manages to snake his arm around BamBam’s waist in time to keep him upright, and BamBam presses his forehead into his best friend's collar bone as Yugyeom slowly guides him to the floor. Everyone is moving now, rushing to their friend’s side. Jackson stops short when he sees BamBam’s phone lying face up on the floor a few feet away, call still in progress, screen showing a closeup picture of BamBam and his fiance, BamBam pressing a kiss to Karlie’s cheek. He snatches the phone up quickly and presses it to his ear when he hears a male voice calling BamBam’s name filter through the phone speakers. 

_ “Who is this?”  _ Jackson demands in English.

_ “Who are you?”  _ The voice on the other end says, “ _ Where’s BamBam? _

_ “This is Jackson,”  _ Jackson replies, looking over when he hears BamBam’s breathing hitch, bordering on hyperventilation and the other boys around him attempting to calm him down, “ _ and BamBam is currently having a panic attack and I wanna know why.” _

_ “Jackson, this is Karlie’s father,”  _ The man says with a sigh, sounding tired,  _ “Karlie was attacked three days ago and is currently in a coma. The doctors don’t know when, or if, she will wake up.”  _

_ “Oh my God,” _ Jackson whispers, drawing some of the other boys’ attention to him, “ _ We’ll make sure he’s on the next flight to the States.” _

_ “Thank you, Jackson,”  _ Tyler says.

_ “Of course, sir,”  _ Jackson says, and hangs up the phone. Jaebeom and Mark are next to him almost instantly, eyes full of questions and Jackson relays what Karlie’s father had told him. 

“ _ Shit,”  _ Mark says quietly before switching back to Korean, “well he’s already packed for Thailand. All we need to do is cancel his current ticket and buy him a new one.”

“I think someone should go with him,” Jaebeom says, “Make sure he makes it okay.”

“I’ll go,” Mark says, and Jaebeom nods. As Mark heads to his room, Jackson looks over to see that BamBam has gotten his breathing under control and is now leaning back against the couch with a blank look on his face. Jinyoung, Youngjae, and Yugyeom are trying to talk to him but give up a minute later when they get no response. They wander over to where Jackson and Jaebeom are, all looking concerned. 

“He won’t tell us what’s going on,” Youngjae says, sounding panicked, “he started hyperventilating and then he just shut down. No tears, no explanation, nothing.”

“Who was on the phone, Jackson hyung?” Yugyeom asks quietly, eyes still glued to his best friend, who hasn’t moved. Jackson explains again while Jaebeom goes to book tickets for BamBam and Mark. By the time Jackson has finished explaining the situation, Youngjae and Yugyeom both have tears running down their faces and Jinyoung’s eyes are glassy. Jaebeom walks back over a few minutes later with a couple sheets of paper, just as Mark returns from his room with BamBam’s suitcase and a duffle bag slung over his shoulder.

“Okay, I have you on the next flight out,” Jaebeom says, handing the papers to Mark, “It leaves in an hour and forty-five minutes, so if you’re going to make it with enough time to get through security you need to leave now. The cabs on its way and I called JYP. He’s paying for the tickets, and sends his best wishes. All that’s really left to do is call his mom, let her know what’s going on so she’s not freaking out when he doesn’t show up tomorrow.” 

“I’ll call her,” Yugyeom says, and Jaebeom nods. As Yugyeom walks away, the sound of a car horn outside catches everyone's attention.

“Cab’s here,” Jinyoung says, looking out the window. Mark takes BamBam’s phone from Jackson before picking up the suitcase and heading for the door. Jaebeom and Jackson squat down in front of BamBam and Jackson places a hand on his shoulder. 

“Hey, BamBam,” Jackson says in a soft voice, “You need to get up. The cab’s here to take you to the airport.” 

When BamBam gives no response or sign of moving, Jaebeom lets out a noise that sounds like a mix between a sigh and a growl. He reaches out quickly, grabbing BamBam’s chin firmly and forcing his head up.

“Hey,” Jaebeom says sharply, and BamBam’s eyes finally focus on him, “You need to get your head in the game. Karlie needs you right now and you sitting here is doing nothing. So move your ass.”

At the mention of his fiance’s name, BamBam’s eyes widen and he nods, allowing Jaebeom and Jackson to pull him to his feet. The three of them make their way outside, where Mark is waiting by the cab. 

“Call us when you get there,” Jaebeom tells Mark after depositing BamBam in the car.

“Will do,” Mark says, “I texted Karlie’s dad with BamBam’s phone, letting him know our itinerary.” 

Jaebeom nods and Mark climbs into the car. Jackson and Jaebeom watch the cab until it disappears around the corner before heading back inside. 

“You were a bit harsh on him, hyung,” Jackson says as they climb the stairs. 

“Yeah, well. We needed him to move,” Jaebeom says with a sigh, “We had to snap him out of whatever that was and the soft approach was not going to work.” 

“Yeah,” Jackson sighs, “I guess you’re right.”

~~~~~~

BamBam doesn’t speak a word the entire trip. Mark tries multiple times during the fifteen and a half hour flight to talk to him, but BamBam never responds, simply stares out the window. He also refuses to eat, despite having not eaten lunch. Mark knows he’s not going to get through to him so he leaves BamBam to his own devices, dozing off here and there. It’s mid-afternoon when they finally land in Karlie’s hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, and Mark is stiff and sore. As he and BamBam make their way through the terminal, trying to shake the cramps out of their muscles, they hear a feminine voice calling BamBam’s name. They turn towards the sound and see a petite woman standing next to the baggage carousel. Mark turns to BamBam in confusion, only to see his eyes widen just before he scurries over to the small woman, stooping to wrap her in a hug. Mark hurries after his friend, reaching the pair as the woman pulls back and gives BamBam a small, motherly smile. Now that he’s closer, Mark sees that the woman is an older, slightly shorter version of Karlie. 

“I didn’t know Karlie had an older sister,” Mark says without thinking, because his brain-to-mouth filter must be malfunctioning due to jet lag, making both BamBam and the woman give him strange looks.

“Oh hun,” the woman says with a thick Southern drawl, a sweet smile adorning her face, “you must be exhausted. You’re not seeing things clearly. Did you two get any sleep on the plane?”

“Maybe an hour?” BamBam says uncertainly, the first words Mark has heard him speak since he got the call, “But he slept most of the flight.”

“Did you at least eat something?” the woman asks as they grab the boys’ luggage, giving BamBam a pointed look and he looks away quickly. The woman huffs and smacks the back of his head, before turning her gaze to Mark, “What about you, Mark?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Mark squeaks, slightly frightened of the tiny woman before him, before something else occurs to him, “Wait. How do you know my name?”

“Don’t call me ma’am. Carrie is fine. Or mama,” the woman says with a smirk, “And I know all of your names. My daughter talks about the ‘crackheads’ that she manages all the time. Plus, I like your music and Bam is always showing us videos of the crazy antics you boys get into. So it wasn’t hard to match names to faces.”

“Oh, daughter…” Mark says, scratching his head in embarrassment, “That makes sense. I feel dumb now.” 

“It’s okay, sweetie,” Carrie says with a giggle, patting Mark’s arm, “We can just blame it on the jet lag. Now come on. Let’s go see our girl. We’ll pick up some food on the way.”

Mark and BamBam follow Carrie out to her SUV, stowing their bags in the trunk. As Carrie pulls out of the parking lot, Mark sends a quick text message to their group chat, letting the other members know that they had landed safely and that he would call them later that evening. They stop at a McDonald’s then a Starbucks, Carrie buying two extra coffees. The rest of the ride is pretty quiet, only the sound of crumpling food wrappers breaking the silence. When they finally arrive at the hospital, the atmosphere seems to grow darker around them. The hospital is busy, people in scrubs rushing around. The elevator is packed when they catch it and they are all thankful to get off two floors later. The third floor is quieter than the first floor had been, an almost somber quality to the air that makes the hair on the back of Mark’s neck stand up as they follow Carrie down the hall. They stop at a desk with a middle aged gentleman and a young man in scrubs leaning against it, and Carrie hands the young man one of the coffees. 

“You didn’t have to get me coffee, Carrie,” the young man says, accepting the cup anyway.

“I know, hun,” Carrie says, handing the other coffee to the other man, “But you’ve been here all night and you looked almost dead when I left.”

“Well, thank you,” the young man says, before turning to look at Mark and BamBam, “And who are these gentlemen?”

“This is Karlie’s fiance, BamBam,” the other man says, placing a hand on BamBam’s shoulder then points to Mark with the hand holding the coffee cup, “And this is his bandmate, Mark.”

“They aren’t technically a band, Tyler. They don’t play instruments,” Carrie says, patting her husband's arm before turning back to the man in scrubs, “How is she today, Josh?”

“Well, the swelling has gone down considerably. The doc ran another CT scan after you left and he’s optimistic about being able to remove the drainage tube tomorrow,” Josh says, leaning across the counter to pick up a clipboard, “She’s also breathing on her own, now.”

“May I see her?” BamBam asks in a small voice as Carrie lets out a sigh of relief.

“Of course,” Josh says, nodding, “this way.”

As they follow the nurse down the hall, BamBam gets antsier with every step, and when they finally stop by a door at the very end of the hall, he looks ready to bolt. Mark places a reassuring hand on BamBam’s shoulder as the nurse opens the door. The lights in the room are out and it’s quiet except for the constant steady beeping of a heart monitor. As they all file in, Josh turns on the lights and Mark suddenly feels the urge to puke. Karlie is the room’s only occupant, but if Mark didn't know who they were there to see, he would not have recognized the girl laying in the bed. The entire left side of her face is a dark purple, with a matching bruise ringing her neck. There are bandages wrapping around her forehead and covering her right eye. There are tubes and wires everywhere, some attached to her right arm and some disappearing into the neckline of the hospital gown she wears. Her long brown hair almost seems dull, laying limp and greasy around her. 

“Jesus,” Mark breaths out as BamBam stumbles forward. He falls to his knees next to the bed and reaches out tentatively to grasp her hand, lacing his fingers through hers and pressing the back of her hand to his lips. Mark sees his friend's shoulders start to shake, and he presses his forehead against Karlie’s hip as Carrie moves forward, kneeling down next to him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. BamBam shifts, never releasing Karlie’s hand, and buries his face in Carrie’s shoulder as she cards her fingers through his hair, broken sobs ripping their way out of his chest. 

“What happened,” Mark asks shakily, turning to look at his friend's father. He is trying to be strong for BamBam, but he can feel the burn of tears welling in his eyes. Karlie had become like a little sister to Mark and seeing her like this hurt. 

“We had gone to dinner with a few of her bridesmaids and were talking to a couple of gentlemen while waiting for a table,” Tyler says, looking exhausted, “one of them was very interested in Karlie, and looked angry when she said she was engaged but he didn’t say anything. Then about halfway through dinner BamBam called her, so she went outside. We all figured she would be a while, so when she wasn’t back after twenty minutes, we didn’t think anything of it. But then a woman came running into the restaurant screaming that ‘he’s killing her’. We were pretty far from the door so it took us a while to get out there, but when we did, we saw the angry guy from earlier being pulled off of Karlie by his friend. We don’t know why he did it, his friend doesn’t even understand what happened. Apparently he just snapped.”

“Jesus,” Mark says again, not knowing what else to say, and a silence settles over the room, only BamBam’s sobs being heard. They stay that way for a while, Tyler sitting in the chair against the wall, Mark leaning against the wall next to him, and Carrie holding BamBam as his sobs quiet down. After a while, when BamBam has stopped crying and settled himself in the chair next to the bed, still clutching Karlie’s hand, Carrie turns to her husband. 

“Hun, you look exhausted,” she says, placing a hand on his shoulder, “and both boys probably need sleep, too. So why don’t you take them home and I’ll sit with her.” 

“I’m not leaving,” BamBam says firmly, eyes never leaving his fiance's face, before Tyler has a chance to say anything.

“Bam, you need to sleep,” Mark says, “You barely slept on the plane.”

_ “I’m not leaving her, Mark _ ,” BamBam snaps in Korean, springing to his feet and turning to Mark with a glare, “ _ I don’t need you telling me what I do or don’t need. The woman I love is lying in a hospital bed and we have no idea when she’s gonna wake up. Or if she even will. So if you think I’m leaving her side anytime soon you are sorely mistaken.” _

Mark’s eyes widen at his normally goofy friend’s angry outburst. He doesn’t know how to respond, so he just nods and makes his way out the door. He wanders down the hall a bit before collapsing into one of the many chairs lining the hallway. He rakes his hands over his face and through his hair, taking a deep, shaky breath as he lets his head fall back against the wall. He feels the stress of the day catching up with him; the jetlag, the shock from his friend’s condition and BamBam’s outburst becoming too much and he feels tears stinging at his eyes again. This time, though, he doesn’t fight it, just lets the tears slip past his closed eyelids and down his cheeks. He sits there for a few minutes, crying silently, until he feels a hand on his shoulder and he opens his eyes to see Tyler and Carrie both standing in front of him. 

“Come on, son,” Tyler says, “Let’s head to the house and you can sleep.”

“Oh, I was just going to book a hotel,” Mark says, wiping his eyes and standing. 

“Nonsense,” Carrie shakes her head, “We have a spare room. There’s no point in wasting money on a hotel when you can just stay with us.”

Mark nods, too tired to argue, and follows the couple out of the hospital.

~~~~~

When Mark walked out, BamBam collapsed back into his chair and buried his face in his hands, immediately feeling guilty. He hadn’t meant to yell at his friend, knew he was just concerned for BamBam’s wellbeing, but the stress of everything had gotten to him and he’d taken it out on Mark. 

“Shit,” BamBam says, letting out a ragged sigh. 

“I may not know what you said,” Carrie says, placing her hand on his shoulder, and he looks up at her, “But even I could tell that was harsh.” 

“I know,” BamBam says, sighing again and training his eyes back on his unconscious fiance, “I didn’t mean to snap at him. I just-”

“I get it,” Carrie says, “Hey. I’m gonna take Ty and Mark to the house so they can get some sleep, then I’ll be back. It’ll probably be a couple hours. You gonna be okay here by yourself?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” BamBam says. His eyes don’t leave Karlie as he hears Carrie and Tyler leave. He picks up Karlie’s hand again, reaching out with the other hand to gently rest it against the top of her head, careful of the bruising on her face and the bandages on her head. He sits that way, carding his fingers through her hair and listening to the steady beep of the heart monitor reassuring him that she was still there, still alive, for about half an hour until his phone starts buzzing in his pocket. He fishes it out and sees that Mark is calling the Got7 group chat. He takes a moment to gather himself and makes sure that his headphones are connected before accepting the call. It takes a second for the call to connect, the sound coming through before the video does. When it does, he sees Mark in the guest room of his soon to be in-laws house, eyes slightly red and puffy, and feels another wave of guilt wash over him. At the bottom of the screen, the rest of the members of Got7 are squished onto one of the couches in the dorm living room. They all look rather surprised to see him. 

“ _ Hey guys,”  _ He says quietly. 

“ _ Hey Bam,”  _ Yugyeom says softly, with none of his usual exuberance, “ _ How you doing?” _

BamBam doesn’t answer, just makes a noncommittal noise and turns the camera around, showing the boys the girl on the bed. The boys all gasp, while Mark just looks away. He turns the camera back around so the boys are looking at him once more and rubs his eyes. 

_ “What happened?”  _ Jaebeom asks, voice neutral, face blank.

Mark relays the story they heard from Tyler, but BamBam isn’t really listening, not really wanting to hear it again. His mind wandering to the “what ifs”. He remembers calling her that day, and he wonders if he had waited a little longer to call her would she still be in this situation. If he hadn’t begged the other boys to take a break earlier than planned so he could call her, would she have made it home with no more contact with the angry man? Before he can fall too much farther into that train of thought, the sound of his name pulls him back to the conversation and he sees his best friend giving him a knowing look. 

“ _ I know what you’re thinking, BamBam,”  _ Yugyeom says, and BamBam looks away,  _ “It’s not your fault and blaming yourself isn’t going to do anyone any good.” _

BamBam doesn’t say anything, just nods, knowing there’s no use arguing with his best friend because no one knows BamBam better, except maybe Karlie. 

_ “So wait,”  _ Youngjae says,  _ “Mark where are you? Did you stay at the hospital, too?” _

_ “No, I’m at Karlie’s parents’ house,”  _ Mark says, a small smirk working its way onto his face, “ _ They wouldn’t let me get a hotel.” _

“ _ I could have told you that,”  _ BamBam says with a snort, “ _ They wouldn’t let me get a hotel either. Made me sleep in the guestroom the first couple times I came with Karlie for a visit. That bed is damn comfortable though.” _

Mark laughs and nods in agreement. They talk for a few more minutes before Mark lets out a loud yawn and the other boys laugh. The boys all say their goodbyes and demands to be kept updated on Karlie’s progress. 

“ _ Mark hyung,”  _ BamBam says, catching everyone’s attention before anyone can hang up, “ _ I wanted to say I’m sorry. About earlier.” _

_ “It’s fine, BamBam,” _ Mark says, a reassuring smile on his face, “ _ I get it. You’re stressed out. I probably would have reacted the same way had I been in your position.” _

_ “That’s still no excuse for snapping at you,”  _ BamBam argues, and he sees confusion on the rest of the members’ faces, “ _ I appreciate your concern. I really do. Thank you. And I am sorry.” _

Mark doesn’t say anything else, just smiles and nods before hanging up. BamBam tells the other boys goodnight once more before hanging up, just as the door opens behind him. 

“Oh!” the woman says in surprise, “You startled me. I wasn’t expecting a new face.”

“I’m sorry,” BamBam says, standing and offering her a hand, “I’m BamBam.”

“Oh! The fiance!” the woman says with a knowing smile, shaking his hand, “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Becky. One of the nurses taking care of Karlie. I’m here to change her bandages and clean her up a bit.”

“Oh,” BamBam says dumbly, finally noticing that the woman is wearing scrubs. Becky seems sweet, around Carrie’s age, with short cropped black hair that's graying at the temples and wrinkles around her kind eyes. He watches as she moves about, checking the monitors, before grabbing a cart holding medical supplies and moving it closer to the bed. 

“So how did you two meet,” she asks as she starts unwrapping the bandages around Karlie’s head, “If you don’t mind my asking. I bet it was something cute, right? Like in a coffee shop or a bookstore?”

“I wish,” BamBam says with a snort, trying to ignore the damage to his fiance’s face that was hidden by the bandages; the stitches in her eyebrow and under her eye, the bruising and scrapes on her forehead, instead focusing on the heart monitor beeping away steadily as he remembers his and Karlie’s first meeting, “She actually called me a dumpling on a pair of walking chopsticks when we first met.”

“Really?” Becky says with a laugh as she gently cleans Karlie’s face.

“Yeah. I was 19, dumb and immature, and tried hitting on her five minutes after I met her,” BamBam says, smiling at the memory, “She was 21, gorgeous, and had just started working at the entertainment company I’m signed with. We were doing a Q&A video with our fans in Germany and they brought her in as a translator. She speaks seven languages. She actually insulted me in Thai, which is my native language. Shocked the hell out of me.” 

“Seven?” Becky asks, “I knew she spoke Korean and Spanish. Didn’t know about the others.”

“Wait, you know her?” BamBam asks in surprise.

“I went to high school with her dad,” Becky says with a smirk, “and Karlie grew up with my twins.”

“Oh wow,” he says quietly. 

“So,” she says, looking at BamBam conspiratorially, “If you were a dumb, immature teenager and she was insulting you in the beginning, what changed?”

“I’m persistent,” BamBam says smuggly, “ And stubborn. Granted so is she. It took me a year and a half to get her to agree to a date. But after that first encounter, I stopped trying so hard. I flirted less and tried to get to know her better. We became really good friends and I think that helped me mature a lot. Though I’m 25 and still act like a dumb, immature teenager sometimes, she keeps me in line. She keeps us all in line, actually.”

“Tyler tells me she manages a KPOP group,” Becky says, “That’s you, right? Isn’t it frowned upon to date your manager?”

“She was actually my girlfriend before she became our manager,” BamBam explains, “She’s only been our manager for about a year, we’ve been together for about four. My group was being rowdy and crazy backstage at an awards show, not listening to our manager when he would tell us to chill. It wasn’t the first time we gave our manager a hard time. And then she came in to wish us good luck, saw how we were acting and ripped us all apart and we settled down. JYP, the CEO of our company, I guess he saw it, and when our manager quit the next week, he offered her the job. Didn’t even care that she and I were together. He had just never seen anyone corral us like that.”

“Wow,” Becky says.

“Mmm, I got lucky,” he says, turning his gaze back to his fiance, “She’s the best thing that’s happened to me.”

“So how long have you been engaged?” Becky asks, “Have you guys set a date? How did you propose?”

BamBam looks at her with bemusement, amused by her curiosity. When he doesn’t respond after a few moments she looks up at him with wide eyes, and he chuckles. 

“I am so sorry,” she says hurriedly, “It’s not really any of my business. I’ve just found it helps the family to talk when a loved one is hurt. Just think of me as the nosey aunt.”

“It’s fine,” BamBam says with a laugh, “It’s what? February now? I proposed in October, so four months. The wedding is supposed to be in April, in Thailand.” 

“Wow. Short engagement,” Becky says.

“Yeah, Karlie’s very organized.” BamBam says with a fond smile, “She had almost everything planned by December.”

“Mmm,” Becky hums in agreement, “So why BamBam?”

“Huh?”

“Your name,” Becky clarifies, “I know that’s not the name you were born with.”

“His name is kinda hard to pronounce,” Carrie says as she walks in the open door, making BamBam jump, “Hi Becky.

“Hi Carrie, I’m almost done here,” Becky says with a smile, gathering up her supplies, “and what do you mean about his name?”

“The first time we met BamBam, Tyler said he refused to call him that, demanding to know his real name,” Carrie starts, giggling.

“When I told him my real name he just kinda blinked at me for a good ten seconds ,” BamBam says laughing, “then he held out his hand for me to shake and says ‘It’s nice to meet you, BamBam.’ Karlie fell off the couch laughing.”

Carrie and Becky join in with his laughter as Becky finishes up and says her goodbyes, having other patients to tend to. After she leaves, BamBam and Carrie sit in silence for a while, both lost in their own worlds. 

“You know that’s part of why she wants to get married in Thailand, right?” Carrie asks suddenly, the sound of her voice making BamBam jump again.

“Huh?”

“She wants to make sure that whoever officiates can properly pronounce your name, and what better way to assure that happens than get married in Thailand,” Carrie explains with a smile, and BamBam snorts. 

“Is that the only reason?” he asks with a chuckle.

“No,” Carrie says with a small smile, “She’s always said that she wants to get married wherever the person she loves is from, because that's their home. I asked her about it when she was a teenager and her cousin got married in the Philippines. I was complaining about having to travel for the wedding and she said she thought it was sweet. I asked her where she wanted to get married and she just smiled and said ‘wherever they are from. If he’s from Florida then we’ll get married in Florida. If he’s from Montana, then we’ll get married in Montana. If he’s from Korea, we’ll get married in Korea. If he’s from Georgia though, we’re getting married in the Bahamas.’ That’s just the kind of person she is, Bam. She wants to make sure the person she loves is happy and comfortable and wants to experience their culture with them.”

BamBam can’t find the words to respond, so he simply nods and threads his fingers through Karlie’s again. It’s quiet for a long time before he realizes that his soon to be mother-in-law has fallen asleep in the other chair. He gets up, grabbing the extra blanket from the cabinet nearby, gently placing it over the slumbering woman before returning to his silent vigil. 

~~~~~

The next day is pretty uneventful, Tyler and Mark wandering in around eleven. The doctor comes in after lunch, talking in a bunch of jargon that BamBam doesn’t understand before Karlie is wheeled out for about an hour, returning with a few less tubes and wires attached to her and the bandages gone. The day wears on, filled with meaningless chatter and stories from Karlie’s childhood and her time with Got7, until it’s already well into the evening and her parents decide they will both go home that evening. BamBam once again refuses to leave, and this time no one says anything. After they leave, he tries to distract himself from the quiet, surfing social media before quickly becoming bored. He ends up scrolling through his photo gallery, losing himself in the images of his fiance stored there. It's one of his favorite hobbies, taking pictures and videos of Karlie, capturing all of the different sides of her; the way she looks when she’s sleeping, mouth slightly open and hair falling in her face; when she first wakes up, hair a mess and looking grumpy before having her coffee; the cute way her nose scrunches when she laughs. As he scrolls he comes across a video that looks to have been taken in the Got7 practice room that he doesn’t remember taking. When he opens it, all he sees is a forehead. 

“ _ Oh god! Why is that so close!”  _ he hears Karlie’s voice, almost drowned out by the cacophony of laughter coming from the background, and the video pulls back showing Karlie’s beautiful face. She moves the phone to show what’s happening behind her, and he sees himself held bridal style in Jackson’s arms, laughing loudly as Jackson spins in circles, before the video moves back to Karlie’s face. 

“ _ Ya know, sometimes it’s kinda hard to tell who he’s dating. Is it me? Is it Jackson?”  _ Karlie says, laughing as she points to herself then over her shoulder before moving the camera again, this time showing that he has moved from Jackson’s arms to Yugyeom’s, wrapping around his best friend like a koala as Yugyeom sprints around the room, before tripping over Youngjae’s extended foot and they both end up on the floor, BamBam trapped under Yugyeom’s body.

“ _ Whoops, maybe it’s Yugyeom. I don’t know anymore.”  _ The video focuses on Karlie’s face once more as she sounds annoyed but her smile shows that it’s all an act. There’s movement behind her that BamBam can’t quite make out before there are suddenly hands on Karlie’s face, turning her head. BamBam gets a quick glimpse of his own face as he slams his lips against hers before the camera is suddenly moving very quickly, a clattering noise echoing from the phones speakers before the screen goes black. BamBam chuckles as he remembers when that video was taken, not having realized at the time that she had been recording in the first place. He continues scrolling through the gallery, passing more pictures and videos before he comes to one of his favorite videos, one taken for Instagram the morning after he had proposed. He had taken her on a weekend getaway for her birthday to a little bed and breakfast in the Scottish countryside. It was a place she had always wanted to visit and he wanted to make her birthday and the proposal special. They had gone to dinner and then for a walk near the lake and it had honestly been perfect. He opens the video, his face coming into focus, hair messy, dressed in a black tee with the sides cut out.

_ “Wassup guys,” _ he says quietly, smiling sleepily at the camera as he makes his way into the bedroom of the suite they were staying in. He places the cup of coffee he carries on the bedside table before climbing onto the bed, collapsing next to a lump under the blankets. He pokes the lump causing it to shift and let out a groan and he chuckles. 

_ “BamBam go away,”  _ Karlie’s voice filters out of the bundle, speaking Thai. 

“ _ Rude babe,”  _ He says with a chuckle as he wiggles his way under the blankets and pressing himself as close to her as he can, her messy hair and eyes squinting as she glares at her fiance. The screen goes black before the sound of Karlie squealing and giggling filters through. When the screen lights up again, they are sitting up leaning against the headboard, BamBam leaned back against Karlie’s chest with her arms wrapped around his waist, hands clutching the coffee cup and her chin resting on his right shoulder. 

_ “No babe,”  _ she whines, still speaking Thai, when she notices the phone in his hand and buries her face in his shoulder,  _ “Why are you filming? I have no makeup on! Please tell me this isn’t going on Instagram.” _

_ “Neither do I. It’s fine. And I would be lying if I did.”  _ BamBam says with a laugh as she groans. He threads his fingers with those of her left hand, showing off the diamond ring that rests on her ring finger, sparkling in the sunlight that filters in from the window. She starts grumbling in German and BamBam doesn’t know what she’s saying but he’s fairly certain it’s not nice. 

“ _ I have no idea what she’s saying right now,”  _ BamBam says in English,  _ “But I am fairly certain she’s swearing at me in German.” _

_ “You would be correct in that assumption,”  _ Karlie says with a smug smirk as she picks her head up from his shoulder and takes a sip of the coffee, “ _ I can say it in a different language if you want me to.” _

_ “Nah,”  _ BamBam says, smirking as well, “ _ I wanna hear you say ‘I love you’ in Thai.” _

She mutters something that the mic can’t pick up as she rests her cheek on his shoulder once more, looking towards the window. 

_ “That is definitely not how you say ‘I love you’ in Thai,”  _ he says laughing, “ _ Th- That is actually quite rude, babe. Come on, say ‘I love you’. Please?” _

_ “ _ _ Chăn rák ter _ _ , _ _ ”  _ she says with a sigh, but BamBam can hear the smile in her voice. 

“ _ German!”  _ BamBam says. 

_ “Ich liebe dich.”  _

“ _ Spanish.” _

_ “Te quiero,"  _ she says, resting her chin on BamBam's shoulder before her face scrunches in confusion, " _ Wait. Nope. That's I want you. Te amo is I love you. It's too early for this shit. I hate you.” _

_ “No you don't. You love me,”  _ BamBam says as Karlie takes another drink of her coffee and rolls her eyes. 

" _ I don't know why,"  _ she says with a smirk.

" _ That hurts me, babe,"  _ he says, placing the hand holding hers over his heart with a pout, " _ right here." _

_ "You'll be fine,"  _ Karlie says and BamBam laughs.

" _ How about Korean?"  _ BamBam says, and Karlie rolls her eyes again. 

_ “Salanghae,”  _ she says, pressing a kiss to his cheek. 

“ _ Chinese!” _

_ “Wǒ ài nǐ.” _

_ “Japanese,”  _ he says looking smug. 

_ “Aishiteru.” _

_ “English!”  _ he says, shifting himself a bit so he can look at her better.

_ “I. Love. You.”  _ She says, punctuating every word by pressing a kiss to his lips, “ _ Are you done now? Can you turn off the camera yet?” _

_ “Well, I was gonna make an announcement,”  _ BamBam says with a smirk, playing with the ring on her finger, “ _ but I don’t remember what it was about ‘cause you distracted me with your amazing language skills, so yeah I guess I can. Peace out guys!”  _

The screen goes black as BamBam chuckles, remembering the response he had gotten to that video. Instagram had blown up, grumbles about the ring and BamBam not outright saying that he had asked her to marry him. He had made a formal public statement announcing the engagement a couple of days later, once they had returned to Seoul. The other members had been mad because he never even told them he was planning it, Yugyeom hadn’t spoken to him for a week. He feels tears stinging at his eyes again, thinking about just how close he had come to losing the love of his life, her survival still not one hundred percent certain. He sets his phone down on the table next to him and lays his head down on the bed next to Karlie’s hip, gripping her hand and pressing it to his lips, allowing the tears to slip from his eyes, and he cries himself to sleep. 

~~~~~

He’s awoken the next morning by someone slapping his face less than gently. He opens his eyes to see Carrie standing there, looking annoyed. 

“Alright, get up,” She orders, and he blinks at her as he sits up. He looks blearily at the clock hanging on the wall and realizes that he only got maybe two hours of sleep. His back is stiff and his neck is cramping badly.

“Wha-” he’s cut off by her reaching out and grabbing his ear, pulling him forcefully from the chair and out of the room, the sound of Mark’s laughter echoing behind him. He’ll have to remember to hit Mark later, “ OW! Shit! Mama, what are you doing?”

“I am tired of watching you sit there in that uncomfortable chair, fighting sleep,” Carrie says in exasperation, finally releasing his ear only to grab a hold of his wrist, preventing him from turning around. For someone so small she is deceptively strong, “Plus you are still wearing the clothes you wore on the plane. So we are going to go back to the house, you are going to shower, eat, and sleep in a real bed for at least six hours.”

“Mama, I’m-” he starts only to be cut off again as they make their way outside, the sun momentarily blinding him. 

“Boy, if you try to tell me you’re fine, I will hit you,” she says quickly as she unlocks her car, “Then I will call your Ma. Don’t test me. Now get in the car.” 

BamBam gulps audibly and nods, doing as he is told and climbing into the passenger seat, knowing that it isn’t an empty threat. They drive in silence, only the quiet crooning of some country song playing on the radio being heard. When they reach the house, BamBam climbs out of the car and up the steps of the porch on his own, his ear still stinging from Carrie’s earlier attack. 

“Your suitcase is in Karlie’s room.” Carrie says, nudging him towards the stairs as she makes her way towards the kitchen, “Go take a shower while I fix some breakfast.” 

BamBam nods quickly and trudges up the stairs and into his fiance’s childhood bedroom. He glances around quickly, taking in the soft purple walls, the large bed up against one wall, gray and purple sheets unmade, the photos and awards scattered around, the desk in the corner stacked high with books and the bookshelf against the other wall, piled high with more books and photos. Nothing has changed since the last time he was here, except the bridal magazines stacked neatly on the corner of her desk, small post-its poking out, marking pages of interest. He shakes his head and opens his suitcase, pulling out a pair of basketball shorts and a loose tee shirt, along with his toiletries, before heading into the adjoining bathroom. He only plans to take a quick shower, but the hot water feels so good on his stiff muscles that he can’t help but stand under the spray, water beating down on his tense shoulders. By the time he is done, the water has gone cold and steam fills the bathroom. He dries himself quickly, pulls on his clothes, and makes his way downstairs, wandering into the kitchen to see Carrie setting a plate piled high with pancakes, eggs, sausage, and bacon onto the table along with a glass of orange juice. He hadn’t realized just how hungry he was but the mouthwatering smell has his stomach growling rebelliously, catching Carrie’s attention and making her chuckle. 

“Eat,” she orders and he nods, plopping himself in the chair and digging in. He eats quickly, clearing his plate before leaning back in his chair with a content sigh for a moment then standing and taking his dishes to the sink with the intent of washing them.

“No, I’ll do that,” Carrie says as she takes the sponge from him and gives him a small shove towards the kitchen door, “You go up and sleep. I want you to try and get at least six hours. We’ll go back to the hospital after you wake up. 

BamBam nods and thanks her for breakfast before making his way back upstairs. He flops down on the bed, letting the familiar scent of Karlie’s shampoo soothe him into a restless sleep. 

~~~~~

He only manages four hours, not being able to sleep without Karlie next to him. He gets up quietly, not wanting to alert Carrie to his wakefulness, looking through his clothes from earlier for his phone, only to realize that he left it at the hospital when Carrie had dragged him out. He sighs in frustration before grabbing a pair of sweatpants, an oversized tee shirt, and his hoodie from his suitcase, dressing quickly before grabbing his phone charger and making his way downstairs. Carrie is sitting on the couch when he walks into the living room, flipping through a large book. As he gets closer, he sees that it’s a photo album containing photos from Karlie’s childhood. When she notices his presence, she closes the album, asking if he wants any lunch before they head back, not commenting on the fact that he didn’t make it six hours. He shakes his head, more than ready to be back at Karlie’s side. They make the trip silently, not even the radio playing this time. When they make it back to Karlie’s room, Tyler is asleep in the chair against the wall and Mark is sitting in BamBam’s chair by the bed with headphones in, music blasting as he scrolls through social media on his phone. BamBam smirks to himself as he moves to stand behind his friend and flicks him hard in the back of the neck. 

“Ah, shit!” Mark exclaims loudly, clutching at the back of his neck, “The hell, Bam!”

“You're in my spot,” BamBam says, laughing loudly. Mark's outburst and BamBam’s laughter shakes Tyler from his slumber and he grumbles about overly loud children before letting out a huge yawn that has Carrie giggling next to him. They all settle in, talking and bantering much as they had the day before for the next couple hours, simply passing the time. 

It’s about 9 o’clock, as Tyler, Carrie and Mark are getting ready to leave that a groan grabs everyone’s attention. They all wait with bated breath, hoping for another sign of waking from the unconscious woman. She groans again and shifts in bed, spurring everyone into motion. Carrie, Tyler and BamBam gather around the bed as Mark runs out of the room in search of a nurse. He returns a few minutes later, Josh in tow, just as Karlie’s eyes slowly flutter open. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief as her eyes drift around the room. 

“Hey baby,” BamBam breathes, smile breaking across his face, as Josh moves forward, checking the monitors and shining a small flashlight in her eyes which causes her to flinch and whine. Josh moves away from her, stepping over to a computer mounted on the wall, as Karlie’s eyes drift around again, never focusing on anything. 

“Hey baby girl,” Tyler says and her eyes drift to him for a moment. She gives no sign of recognition before her eyes move on again. She shifts again, seemingly looking for a more comfortable position as her eyes land on BamBam. Something flashes across her face for a moment, something akin to recognition, before her eyes fall shut again.

“Wait, what happened?” Carrie asks, turning to Josh in a panic, “Why didn’t she say anything? Is she okay?”

“She’s just fine,” Josh says, giving them a reassuring smile, “It’s normal for coma patients to come out of it slowly. Waking up multiple times without truly waking up. This will probably happen multiple times over the next few hours, maybe days, but that’s okay. It means she is coming out of it. This is a good sign.”

Josh gives Carrie a pat on the shoulder and another smile before making his way out of the room. Everyone else settles back in, all previous thoughts leaving flying out the window. It’s quiet, everyone lost in their own thoughts. BamBam never lets go of Karlie’s hand, eyes never leaving her face. Carrie and Tyler settle into the chair by the wall, while Mark makes himself comfortable on the wide window sill. 

True to what Josh said, Karlie opens her eyes multiple times throughout the night, never focusing on anything for more than a few seconds, only keeping her eyes open for a couple of minutes at most before closing them once more. 

~~~~~

He doesn’t remember falling asleep, had never intended to in the first place, but when he opens his eyes, BamBam notices that the room is brighter, the sunlight just starting to spill into the room. He’s leaned forward with his head pillowed on his arms, and he can see Tyler and Carrie asleep in the double chair against the wall, Carrie’s head resting on Tyler’s shoulder while Tyler’s head is leaned back against the wall.

He shifts, adjusting himself in the chair and turning his head the other way, catching sight of Mark asleep still perched in the window before closing his eyes again. He sits like that for a moment, attempting to go back to sleep while also trying to figure out what had woken him in the first place, when the feeling of fingers carding through his hair finally registers in his brain and his eyes snap open. He bolts upright and is met with the most beautiful blue eyes he’s ever seen, accompanied by a bright, tired smile. 

“Hey handsome,” Karlie whispers, voice rough from having not been used, and BamBam chokes out a breathy laugh, feeling tears prick at his eyes as he grabs her hand, pressing a kiss against her knuckles. 

“Hi,” he breathes, cupping the side of her face. She closes her eyes for a moment, leaning into his touch. 

“What are you doing here, Bam? Shouldn’t you be in Thailand?” she asks as she shifts before letting out a groan, “And why do I hurt so much?”

BamBam can’t help the strangled laugh that escapes him as the tears finally break free. The sound wakes the other people in the room, and he hears a squeal from behind him. There’s a loud “oh shit” from the window and he looks up in time to see Mark tip sideways, limbs flailing as he falls from the sill, hitting the floor with a resounding thud. 

“Oh my god, Mark!” Karlie squeals as BamBam presses his mouth to her knuckles once more in an attempt to stifle his laughter, “Are you okay?”

“I’m good,” Mark groans, his voice strained as he lets a chuckling Tyler pull him up off the floor. Everyone crowds around the bed, smiles lighting up every face. 

“How are you feeling, baby girl?” Tyler asks, resting a hand on his daughter’s shin. 

“Like I was hit by a truck,” she responds with a grimace, “Why do I feel like I was hit by a truck?”

“What do you remember?” Carrie asks.

“Going to dinner with Bree and Zoe, and Bam calling,” Karlie says, “Nothing after that. Mom what’s going on? Why are Bam and Mark here?”

“That was-” Carrie starts but is cut off by the doctor walking in, followed closely by Josh. 

“Josh? What-” Karlie starts before looking around the room, “Oh. I am in the hospital. That explains a lot. It also raises a lot more questions.”

“Hey, sis,” Josh says with a laugh, and BamBam raises an eyebrow in confusion, “I have questions, too, ya know. Like why you didn’t tell your best friend you were getting married. I had to hear it from my sister, when she tells me she’s gonna be your maid of honor.”

“Uhh, not true,” Karlie says, pointing an accusatory finger at him, “I specifically called you that night and told you.”

“Was I working?” Josh asks with a smirk.

“I believe so,” Karlie says.

“Girl, you know better than that,” Carrie says with a laugh, “It’s hard enough to get the boy to remember what you tell him when he hasn’t been working a 24- hour shift. Good luck if he has.” 

“Alright, fair,” Karlie says, laughing before grimacing and placing a hand on her head, “I’ll tell you about it later, right now I want my own answers.”

“Oh my God, I feel so stupid now,” BamBam blurts out, causing everyone to turn to him, “I knew you looked familiar. You’re the best friend Kar is always talking about. How did I miss that? And how have we never met?”

“I work a lot,” Josh says with a laugh, “But you’ve met my twin sister. And my mom the other night.”

“Becky was here?” Karlie asks, and Josh nods. 

“I’m done,” BamBam says, dropping his head to the bed, “This world is too small.”

Everyone laughs and the doctor steps forward, asking Karlie basic questions about herself as he shines a light in her eyes then has her follow his finger. BamBam tunes him out, unable to take his eyes off of her face. The bruising is just starting to yellow at the edges and the scrapes have scabbed. The pupil of her right eye is ringed with red, and the stitches stand out against her pale skin. But her eyes are open and she is smiling and that’s all that matters to BamBam. 

The doctor leaves after a few more questions, stating that he would like her to stay for a couple more days so they can monitor her for any ill effects. Josh follows a few minutes later with promises of returning later for answers. Once they are gone, Karlie demands answers so Tyler tells the story again. Karlie listens intently, eyes widening as the story goes on. When he’s done, Karlie doesn’t say anything, just nods, fiddling with the tube attached to her arm for a moment before looking up at BamBam. 

“Did you call your mom, Bam,” she asks.

“Uhh.”

“Don’t worry,” Mark says, laughing, “Yugyeom called her before we left.”

“Okay, but have you called her since you got here?” Karlie asks, and both boys’ eyes widen, “I’ll take that as a no. Go call your mom, babe.”

“I will later,” BamBam says with a pout, “She’s probably asleep. It’s fine.”

“Fine,” Karlie says as she scoots herself over a bit before patting the bed beside her, “Then get your scrawny ass over here and cuddle me.”

The others chuckle as BamBam smiles and nods before climbing onto the bed next to her. She cuddles into his side, resting her head on his chest, and he feels himself truly relax for the first time in days. He wraps his arm around her shoulders and places a kiss on the top of her head. They talk for a while, Mark regaling Karlie with stories of BamBam’s reaction to the situation and how her mom had dragged him out by his ear the day before as well as stories of the antics the rest of Got7 had gotten into in their absence. Karlie laughs and grumbles about her inability to leave the boys alone for extended periods of time as Tyler lets out a loud yawn. Carrie decides it’s time for them to head home, with Mark opting to stay with his two friends. After her parents have left, the three friends talk about anything they can think of for a while until Karlie falls asleep on BamBam’s chest. Mark dozes off in the chair a few minutes later. BamBam sits in silence for a while relishing in the feeling of her head on his chest, her warmth in his arms, before he too drifts off to sleep. 

~~~~~~

Yugyeom and the other boys are just finishing up breakfast when Jackson’s phone goes off. When he shows the other boys the text from Mark asking if they’re up for a video call, everyone scrambles into the living room where Jaebeom’s laptop is set up. There’s a moment of wrestling between the five boys, all fighting for a place on the couch, which Yugyeom and Jackson lose, leaving them sitting on the floor. Jaebeom accepts the call without giving it a chance to finish the first ring and they are met with a somber looking Mark. 

“ _ Hey, guys _ ,” he says quietly, immediately putting everyone on edge. 

“ _ What happened?”  _ Jinyoung asks, his voice filled with worry.

Before Mark can respond, something looking suspiciously like a pillow collides with the side of his head and his facade breaks as a familiar female voice echoes through the speakers. 

“ _ Mark Tuan, if you don’t get over here with that damn phone, I am gonna come over there and kick your ass.”  _ Karlie’s voice filters through as Mark laughs, “ _ And bring me my pillow back _ .” 

“ _ The hell you are,”  _ Yugyeom hears his best friend scold as Mark moves over to sit next to their manager. When he does, Yugyeom sees Karlie sitting up in bed with BamBam on her left side, laying on his side with his head on her shoulder. She wraps her other arm around Mark as he settles his head on her other shoulder. 

The boys all cheer excitedly at the sight of their manager awake and making threats. They all bombard her with questions; how is she feeling, how long has she been awake, is she getting enough rest, when are they coming home. She laughs and answers each question as best as she can. Yugyeom doesn’t say much, focused on his best friend. The small smile gracing BamBam’s features is a welcome change from the broken look he had worn the night they had arrived and Yugyeom can’t help but smile, too.

Karlie is alive and awake, BamBam isn’t anxious anymore and all is right with the world.


End file.
